ASTA01H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Great Dark Spot, Kuiper Belt, Axial Tilt
Document Summary
Uranus and neptune are ice giants, with small cores of heavy elements and a deep mantle of solid water, mixed with ices and minerals. The particular blue colour of these planets is due to methane in the atmosphere. Both ice giants show systems of very faint rings around them. It is believed that the extreme axial tilt of uranus was the result of a collision with a large planetesimal or tidal interactions with gas giants as it migrated outwards. Uranus radiates about the same amount of heat that it receives from the sun while. Neptune radiates more internal heat compared to what it receives from the sun. Uranus has 27 moons amongst which 5 are considered major moon. Miranda, the smallest spherical inner moon of uranus with surface features called ovoids. Ovoids are likely produced by internal heat driving convection in the icy mantle.
